Why Lauren Betts’ WNBA draft stock may be slipping already originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
UCLA Bruins star Lauren Betts is hoping to win a national championship as she signs off from the NCAA.
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Her long-waited entry into the WNBA will follow — and for more than a year, Betts has been touted as a potentially-transformative player.
But Betts might no longer be a shoo-in with one of the top two or three picks in the loaded 2026 WNBA Draft. It is part of swirling intrigue around the draft board that reached a new level this week, when the Dallas Wings won the right to select first overall in April’s draft
Betts “falls” to fourth in new mock draft
USA Today‘s new WNBA mock draft has Betts going fourth overall to the Washington Mystics — who are building an enviable young team centered on draft picks.
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In 2025, the Mystics took Sonia Citron third overall before selecting Kiki Iriafen with the fifth pick and choosing Georgia Amoore sixth. Though a knee injury prevented Amoore from playing last season, Citron and Iriafen were named WNBA All-Stars; Citron finished second to Paige Bueckers in Rookie of the Year voting.
Adding Betts to that group could give the Mystics the best young core in the league.
Concerns have been raised about Betts’ ability to adapt to the speed of the professional game; her screen-setting needs work, and double teams can turn her over at the next level.
In addition, Betts missed third-ranked UCLA’s 89-59 win over Duke on Thursday due to an elbow injury — right after fourth-ranked Texas limited her to only eight points in the Bruins’ sole loss to date on Tuesday.
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But Betts’ size should make her an elite rim protector in the W, and playing off of Amoore and Citron would allow her to utilize her soft touch from close range.
Though her stats are down this season (20.2 points per game in 2024/25 to 14.1 points per game in 2025/26), Betts still profiles as a top prospect, and Washington may be the ideal landing spot for her.
